Towing bar with wide-range hitch



Dec. 22, 1959 Filed Sept. 10, 1958 R. M. CARSON TOWING BAR WITH WIDE-RANGEHITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2 l0 )1, I g [020 7 A50 4 26 I8 I8 I 52 3 38 z a: 44 ,2 48 ll Raymond M. Carson INVENTOR.

Dec. 22, 1959 R. M. CARSON 2,913,310

TOWING BAR WITH WIDE-RANGE HITCH Filed Sept. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Raymond M. Garson INVENTOR.

United States Patent M 2,918,310 TOWING BAR WITH wmenrsee inrcrr Raymond M. Carson,Faxo'n, Okla. Application Septemberlfl, 1958, Serial No. 760,114 4 Claims. ((11. 280-478 The present invention relates to improved meansfor use between adjacent ends of separably corinectable vehicles and has reference, more particularly. stated, to novel and improved hitching means which is 'such in construction that the towing means between the two vehicles may be readily and reliably brought into playeven though the hitching bracket or device on the rear ofthe lead or towing vehicle is not accurately positioned and lined up with the towing means on the vehicle which is to be towed.

More specifically, in carrying out theprinciples of the over-all concept the trailer or other vehicle which is to be drawn or towed is provided on the forward end with a hingedly mounted towing bar 1,which when it is not in use, may be swung up to assume an out-of-thc-way position. A draft tongue or equivalent structuralmeans has its leading or forward end suitably constructed to afford an operating connection between'the same .and the hitching device or bracket which is carried by the rear bumper of the pulling or towing vehicle. The forward end of the towing bar or device is operatively connectable with the rear adjacent end of the tongue by way of a safe and reliable coupling. Novelty is predicated on the combination of the rigid push-pull hitching tongue with the forward end portion of the towing barthe construction and arrangement being such that the tongue is projectable and retractible and may be retracted to a collapsed position within the confines of the towing bar when not in use and may be latched orlocked in a coupled position when it is extended and'ready foruse.

As is well known to those who are 'calledupon to link vehicles together for powering, steeringandtowing connection, difficulties are frequentlym'et in bringing the components of the towing means intopropercooperative alignment since it is necessary to back the leading vehicle into a predetermined position toefiect the required connection between the hitching means and towing bar. Therefore, it is a significant objective in the instant matter to not only utilize thestructuraladaptations so far mentioned but to provide a specially designed "coupling between the towing bar and thehitching tongue wherein wide range play is available making it an easy matter to angle and adjust the hitching tongue to whatever position is necessary so that the forward end thereof may be joined to the hitch or equivalent meanson the bumper of the lead vehicle. In addition the components of the coupling are such thatas soon as the lead vehicle starts to take off, a rigid and reliable coupling between the tongue and towing bar is automatically and expeditiously effected.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following "description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like'numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the Views:

Fig. l is a side elevationrshowing'the forward end of the vehicle at the right whichis to be .towed, the rear ward end of the leading or vehicle which is to do the 2,918,310 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 2 towing, and the improved towing bar carried by the first vehicle and equipped with the improved self-adapting wide-range hitching tongue and how the forward end of the latter is joined to the hitching bracket on the second named vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hitching bar and tongue removed, of course, from the vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a plan view based on Fig. 2 and showing how the retractible tongue recedes into the towing bar frame and how it is bolted to stay in the collapsed or retracted position shown;

Fig. 4 is a plan viewsimilar to Fig. 2 but showing the variability of the hitching tongue relative to the towing bar. or frame;

, Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in plan and in section with parts removed to expose the details of construction, particularly the components of the openable and crosable coupling;

Fig. 6 is a section on theplane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 5 illustrating the complete coupling; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section on an exaggerated scale taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference first to Fig. 1 it is to be explained that the expression vehicles is being used to identify auto mobiles, pick-ups, tractors and equivalent machines. It will simplify the presentation to denote A as the leading on powering vehicle which is to do the towing, and the vehicle B as the vehicle which is to be towed. The first vehicle is shown provided with a rear bumper or the a like C having hitchinglneans such as a bracket D with a connecting member C. Instead of this arrangement the often-used ball and socket type of a bracket may serve. On the forward bumper E attaching brackets F with lugs G are provided. The invention of course is in combination with these old parts and is illustrated in particular in Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive.

With reference to Fig. 2 the towing bar 8 takes the form of a triangular frame, sometimes also referred to as an A-frame. This frame is characterized by a pair of forwardly converging frame members l0 having their rearward transverse ends connected together by a forwardly placed and suitably joined cross brace 12. Theextending rear end portions 14 constitute hinging ears and are hingedly bolted as at 16 so that the frame as a unit may be swung up to an out-of-the-way position when not in use as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.. The forward end of this towing bar or frame may be said to be truncated. Thus the forward ends of the frame member 10 are spaced apart to accommodate the adjacent slidably associated and telescoping ends of the hitching means, more specifically a linearly straight rigid tongue 18. This tongue may be tubular if desired. The left hand or forward end may vary in construction. It is here shown as having upper and lower ears 20 apertured at 22 to accommodate the hitching pin or bolt 24 in the manner shown in Fig. 1. That is to say the lug G extends between the ears and the bolt is inserted to provide the desired pivoting htch. Instead of the means shown at RC and 20 to 24, inclusive, a ball and socket joint (not shown) may of course be utilized. The thedian portion of the top of tongue is provided with a latch accommodation slot 26. There is a similar slot 28 at the rearward end portion and this constitutes a keeper for adetent 29 (Fig. 6)on the downward end of a spring held latch 30, the free end portion of the latch being provided with a suitable finger-grip 3 2. The pivoted end34 of the latch is joined to upstanding lugs36 mounted suitablyon a substantially triangular top plate 38 which is fixed atop the leading edge portions of the frame members 10. This plate has a slot40 therein to selectively register with the keeper slots 26 and 28 and to accommodate the detent 29 on the latch. The plate 38 is also provided with appropriate anchors 42 (see Fig. 7) having end portions of a coil spring connected thereto. The coil spring 44 passes through an opening 46 provided therefor in the median portion of the latch 30 and the tension of the spring is such that the detent-equipped end 29 of the latch is normally sprung down and held in its desired retaining position, that is the locking position seen in Fig. 6. It will be noted that the detent is lodged in both slots 28 and 40 and noses into the hollow portion of the tongue 18 and directly abuts the forward end of the slot 28. Opposed to the top plate is a second triangular bottom plate 48 which is likewise secured to the frame member and these two plates in conjunction with the frame members form a box-like open ended socket or receiver. This receiver constitutes the female component of the aforementioned coupling means. The other component comprises a triangular head or wedge 50 which is perhaps best shown in Fig. 3. This wedge or head comprises converging side members 52 rigidly welded in place and a base member 54 which is welded at 56 to the adjacent end portion of the tonque. This base member is provided with a bolt hole 58 (Fig. which registers with bolt holes 60 in the aforementioned brace in order to accommodate the retaining bolt 62 which, as shown in Fig. 3, serves to fasten this retractible and projectible tongue in the collapsed out-ofthe-way position illustrated. Then with the two parts, the towing bar 8 and tongue 18 collapsed the structure may be folded up and retained in any suitable manner in the out-of-the-way dotted line position seen in Fig. 1.

Using this pivoted A-frame to provide a hingedly mounted towing bar and bracketing it to the bumper C of the drawn vehicle B provides a generally well known type of towing bar. That is to say, an A-frame hingedly mounted on a vehicle such as at B is not in and of itself new. The featured advantages reside in providing a sectional towing connection between two vehicles the sections self-adapting and adjustable and automatically connectable and the specification and disclosure and claims are to be interpreted accordingly. For this reason the part 8 may be thought of as a towing unit or equivalent means. The tongue 18 may be thought of as hitching means. The coupling between the two means 8 and 18 provides the desired self-accommodating and operating connection between towing units which makes for the variability and angularly relationship of parts seen in Fig. 4. By simply unlatching the means 18 it may be permitted to telescope or recede into the means 8 and swung from one side to the other to assume whatever angle is necessary to line it up with the hitching means D on the pulling vehicle A. Then when A takes off the Wedge or head 50 is piloted into the socket and is sheathed, firmly lodged and latched therein in the rigid ready-to-function manner seen in Fig. 6.

So far as is known the provision of tow bar means 8, and hitching means 18, with a self-adaptable coupling and operating connection between the adjacent ends thereof is novel.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only'of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use between adjacent ends of separably connectible vehicles; a hitch comprising a rigid'towing device having means at a rearward end thereof permitting said rearward end to be operatively hinged on the front end of a drawn vehicle, a rigid push-pull hitching and towlng tongue slidably related to said towing device and having means at its forward end adapted to be separably a 4 1 t and operatively connected with a pulling vehicle, and a self-adapting wide-range coupling between adjacent overlapping portions of said towing device and tongue and which allows said tongue when not coupled to be laterally angled and self-adjusted relative to the line of draft and said towing device whereby to expedite connecting the hitching and towing tongue with the pulling vehicle, said coupling embodying a female coupling member at the forward end of said towingdevice and a male coupling head fixed on the rearward end of said towing tongue, said tongue being provided adjacent said male coupling head with a keeper slot, a manually releasable spring-biased'and retained latch operatively mounted on said female coupling member and releasably engageable with said keeper slot, said female coupling member comprising a truncated triangular sheath defining and providing a wedge-like socket and retainer for telescopic reception and retention of said male coupling head, said coupling head being wedge-shaped and conforming in shape and size with said socket, said male coupling head being forcibly drawn into said socket by the forward movement and extension of the major portion of the tongue through and forwardly beyond the forward truncated end of the female coupling member, and the pulling and towing forces of the over-all hitch being attained and maintained by way of the direct interengagement of the cooperating faces of the head and female coupling member.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said latch, when engaged in said keeper slot functions in a maner to prevent disengagement of the coupling members, said latch serving primarily as the means which maintains the coupling members effective when a rearward thrust is imposed on the tongue.

3. For use between adjacent end portions of separably connectible vehicles; a rigid female coupling member hollow and generally triangular in plan and having a truncated forward end providing a wedge-shaped socket, means rigidly connected with said female coupling member and serving to hingedly connect said coupling member with the front end of a drawn vehicle, a forwardly extensible rearwardly retractible push-pull tongue slidably mounted intermediate its end portions in the socket of said female coupling member and having means at the forward end thereof for effecting an operating connection with a pulling vehicle, the rearward end of said tongue being provided with a wedge-shaped male coupling head which, when in use, fits and is wedged snugly and operatively in said socket, said female coupling member having a slot therein, a manually releasable spring-biased automatically applicable latch mounted atop said female coupling member and having a detent projectible through the slot into said socket, said tongue being hollow and provided at longitudinally spaced points with forward and rearward selectively usable keeper slots for removable reception of the detent, the means connecting said female coupling member with the first named vehicle comprising an A-frame embodying a pair of forwardly converging frame members connected at their converging forward ends to said female coupling member, the rearward ends of said frame members being connected by a stabilizing cross brace defining said A-frame, said tongue and male coupling head being adapted to be manually shoved rearwardly through the said female coupling member in a manner to cause said head to rest directly against said cross brace, said head being separably connected to said cross brace by cooperating fastening means, whereby to permit the head and tongue to be retracted and substantially withdrawn into the confines of the A-frame whereupon the frame and tongue, as a unit, may then be bodily swung up to and maintained in an out-ofthe-way not-in-use position.

4. For use between adjacent ends of separably connectible vehicles, a hitch construction comprising a towing bar embodying a frame generally triangular in plan,

5 said frame having a pair of forwardly converging frame members with their forward converging ends spaced apart, the rearward ends of said frame members being likewise spaced apart and connected by a coplanar rigidifying cross brace, top and bottom truncated triangular plates fixed in spaced parallelism on the respective top and bottom surfaces of the forward converging ends of the frame members and cooperating therewith in providing a wedge-shaped female coupling member, the top plate being provided with a slot, an accessible manually releasable spring-biased latch having a rearward end hingedly mounted atop said top plate and having a forward end operating through said slot and constituting a detent, said detent being spring-biased into the socket portion of said female coupling member, an elongated extensible and retractible rigid linearly straight push-pull tongue operable through the open ends of the female coupling member and provided with forward and rearward longitudinally spaced keeper slots to selectively accommodate said detent, the rearward end of said tongue 20 being provided with a wedge-shaped head, said head heing wedged and removably but firmly lodged in the socket portion of said female coupling member, said detent being releasably engaged with the then cooperating rearward keeper slot to prevent rearward sliding movement of the forwardly extending tongue, the extending tongue and resultant interengagement of the cooperating faces of the head and female coupling member providing the sustained pulling forces of the overall hitch, said latch serving to guard against the above mentioned rearward sliding movement of the tongue when the pulling vehicle is being backed relative to the drawn vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,378,504 Roos June 19, 1945 2,703,243 Clark Mar. 1, 1955 2,845,281 Holder et al July 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 586,883 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1947 

